30 Stunning Secret Places Most Tourists Don’t Know About

While all of the well-known wonders in the world are definitely worth visiting (why else would they be well-known?), it’s sometimes nice to get a bit off of the beaten path and experience secret places that are also the cultural and natural wonders of the world – especially if it means fewer crowds. Some of the world’s best places to visit aren’t limited to the same old hot spots that have been mentioned in guidebooks for ages. So for your next vacation, instead of trekking off to that place you’ve heard a million people talk about, strike out for one of these secret places in the world and discover unique experiences all your own.

Secret Vacation Spots

Many cool places on Earth are among some of the most hidden. However, stumbling upon pretty places in the world is not as difficult as it seems. In fact, while everyone has their own secret vacation spots, giving these places deserved publicity is something long overdue. The most beautiful places in the world to visit are often not the most well known, but the lack of notoriety doesn’t keep them from being the most amazing places to visit.

1. Church of San Juan Parangaricutiro, Michoacán, Mexico

You’ve probably heard of the famous ancient Roman ruin of Pompeii, but what about the ruined villages of Paricutin and San Juan Parangaricutiro? Destroyed in the early 1940s by the sudden emergence of Paricutin volcano, all that remains are these cathedral ruins.

2. Visby, Gotland, Sweden

With its medieval ruins, exquisite Old Town, fragrant rose gardens and expansive views of the beautiful Baltic Sea, it’s little wonder that Visby is one of the world’s best places to visit.

3. Plitvice Lakes, Croatia

Of all of the waterfalls in the world, none are quite as extraordinary as those at Plitvice. Of course, I should say “series of waterfalls,” as this amazing natural ensemble is composed of 16 different terraced limestone lakes, with crystal clear water flowing from one to the next.

4. St. Michael’s Mount, Cornwall, England

Perhaps you’ve heard of Mont Saint Michel, but what about its English cousin? With its castle and gardens rising proud from the waters of Mount’s Bay, St. Michael’s Mount is a beloved Cornish gem.

5. Samarkand, Uzbekistan (One of Central Asia’s Secret Places)

History, legend, and beauty weave themselves together like a magical mirage in one of the most amazing places to visit, Samarkand. Home to ancient mosques and the mausoleum of the famous Tamerlane and titled by UNESCO as the Crossroads of Culture, this city exemplifies the wonders of the Silk Road.

6. The Dazu Rock Carvings, China

Stretching out through the mountainous domain of Dazu County, these extraordinary rock carvings pay homage to multiple religions, from Buddhism to Taoism, and date back over 1,000 years.

7. Kakslauttanen Hotel, Finland

The Arctic typically conjures up images of cold, stark landscapes, yet even among secret places this should be a pleasant surprise. Leaving bleakness behind, this hotel has created these beautiful glass igloos in the midst of a forest, perfect for viewing clear Northern nights and their dancing lights.

Visiting the Pretty Places in the World

Whenever you decide to embark upon your next adventure, obviously you want to visit places that are beautiful. When visiting these places, one of the keys is to make sure that you don’t leave evidence that you were there if these are natural areas. This means making sure not to litter, staying on guided paths. Obviously, when it comes to unique hotels and restaurants, this is different. Enjoy the unique views, this is what makes our world so interesting and exciting.

8. Ithaa Undersea Restaurant, Maldives

A dining experience unlike any other you could probably find in the world, this underwater restaurant sits below the Indian Ocean and thrills visitors with everything from schools of colorful fish to graceful sharks which easily makes it among the most beautiful places in the world to visit.

9. Smoo Cave, Scotland

This massive seaside cave looks like something straight out of Jurassic Park, but don’t worry, the only thing lurking within its depths of one of the most interesting places in the world is a hidden waterfall that cascades 80 feet into the placid waters below.

10. Garajonay National Park, Canary Islands

Like something out of a dream, this park is almost always shrouded in mists that drift in from the Atlantic, making this land of twisted laurisilva trees, delicate flowers, and carpets of moss seem like a completely separate reality.

Finding the Most Beautiful Places in the World to Visit

The key to doing this successfully is researching. Many great places are not going to come up on the first page in Google, so be diligent. One of the best ways is simply to look at a map of the surrounding area where you’re traveling or even to look up the unique places to visit in a region. Getting off the beaten path is a great way to travel.

11. Al-Hijr Archeological Site, Saudi Arabia

While its northern neighbor and fellow Nabataean city, Petra, is far more well-known and visited, this beautiful site is composed of well over 100 elaborately carved tombs that date back over 2,000 years, making it one of the best secret vacation spots.

12. Lake Baikal, Russia

Holding about 20% of all the world’s freshwater, Baikal, the world’s oldest lake, is also one of the world’s largest. However, there’s more to Baikal than just being one of the pretty places in the world, its clear waters are home to a massively diverse range of marine life found nowhere else, including the world’s only freshwater seal.

13. Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius

Ringed in by thick whitewashed walls, its blue and gold onion domes soaring to the heavens, this monastery complex sets the imagination aflame and is easily among the cool places on Earth. With its colorful mosaics, fanciful wedding cake styled architecture, and its dozens of gold crosses glinting in the light, this is quintessential Russia.

14. Ruins of San Ignacio Mini, Argentina (One of the Most Unique Secret Places in the World)

Built as a Jesuit mission in the early 17th century, San Ignacio survived for about two centuries before native inhabitants of the area destroyed it. The ruins are among several that stretch across Argentina and Brazil, and are considered to be the best.

15. Green Lake, Austria

Throughout the winter, this valley is mostly a park with a small lake, but when the warmth of spring comes the valley fills with the clearest of water to create a fleeting underwater kingdom and one of the great secret places in the world.

This hotel, composed of several uniquely designed dwellings, is the ultimate proof that the fascination we have with treehouses doesn’t leave us along with our childhood.

17. Western Brook Pond, Canada

Everything about this natural wonder is playfully misleading – it’s called a pond, but it’s actually a huge fjord, which then of course makes you think “Norway,” but you’re actually looking at a piece of Gros Morne National Park in Canada.

18. Citadelle Laferriere, Haiti

Commanding a position atop the mountains of Northern Haiti, this early 19th century fortress provides stunning views of the surrounding mountainous terrain as well as the not too distant Atlantic Ocean.

Enjoying the Most Interesting Places in the World

There are so many places throughout the world that are relatively unknown compared to more famous attractions that possess the same majesty. One of the best things to do is take pictures and video of these places while also learning their history. Some places you can touch the attractions while others you need to respect the integrity of the place, especially historical ruins.

19. Dambulla Cave Temple

Dating back over two millennia, this temple complex showcases some of the most beautiful and intricately carved Buddhist statues and decorations in Sri Lanka, all spread out over five extraordinary caves making it among the world’s most unique secret places.

20. Spanish Synagogue, Prague

This cultural jewel is tucked away in Prague’s historic Jewish Quarter and contains some of the most fabulous displays of Moorish styled architecture and design in the world.

21. Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Northern Territory, Australia

This semi-arid land creates a dazzling display for the senses, from the towering red rocks that dot the landscape, to the Desert Oaks, wildflowers, and sporadic pools of water that crisscross this stunning natural wonder.

22. Sark, Channel Islands (One of the Hidden Cool Places on Earth)

With no cars, the living remnants of a feudal system, and a breathtakingly rugged coastline, Sark embodies the spirit of a simple, yet beautiful, English lifestyle. Dotted with centuries old farms and boasting a quaint village, this is the ultimate escape from hectic modern life.

23. Drakensberg Mountains, Southern Africa

Rising so many thousands of feet into the African sky that the clouds swirl about their slopes, this remarkable mountain range – actually a great escarpment – is carved by countless gorges and valleys that play home to a huge selection of biodiversity.

24. Mons Klint, Denmark

The White Cliffs of Dover may be far more famous, but there’s every reason to feel that these Danish cliffs are far more beautiful. Between the pristine whiteness of the verdantly capped cliffs and the sparkling azure waters of the Baltic, this is about as stunning as it gets.

25. Socotra Island, Yemen

Like Madagascar, this archipelago broke away from the supercontinent Godwana and never looked back, becoming its own pocket of isolated biodiversity – so isolated, in fact, that many species can only be found here.

26. Lviv, Ukraine

This charming town has had the ultimate checkered past, being at various points in history part of Poland, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union, and now independent Ukraine. Nestled to the east of the Carpathians, its Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

27. The Ruins of Sabratha, Libya

Dating back over 2,500 years, Sabratha’s sprawling archeological site is most highly regarded for its astounding examples of Roman architecture, with the jewel of its collection being the great amphitheater.

28. Ruins of Volubilis, Morocco

Dominating these ancient ruins – which date back over 2,000 years to the Phoenicians and later the Romans – is the hauntingly beautiful basilica, with its graceful arches and rows of columns. Apart from this building complex, the area is also known for its exquisite examples of Roman mosaics.

29. Faroe Islands, Denmark

Located to the north of Scotland in the bracing waters of the North Atlantic, these islands combine the richness of Scandinavian culture with the awe inspiring wonder of nature.

30. Beinecke Rare Books and Manuscripts Library, Yale University (For Academics, Among the World’s Best Places to Visit)

This gorgeous modern architectural masterpieces creates an amazing juxtaposition of ideals, as housed within this impressive space are millions of rare books and manuscripts, many dating back centuries.